The Women Talking About Learning Podcast

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

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This week’s first guest is Nicole Gee. Nicole is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience in organisation design, target operating models and complex change. Through her practice, Geenius (http://www.geeniusconsulting.co.uk), she has worked across a wide variety of sectors with clients including Tesco, Unilever and NICE, where she served as Chief People Officer at board level. Grounded in HR and OD, Nicole believes the best outcomes come when people can reach their potential within organisations that are ambitious but people-focused.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolegee

Our second guest is Odile Chefdor. Odile is an Organisational Development & Design practitioner with over 25 years' experience across France, Germany, the US and UK, in private, public and not-for-profit organisations. She spent 16 years at Bloomberg, moving from building the HR function in Germany to a global role working directly under the Chairman on leadership, succession and the future of the organisation. Since then, alongside her work as a business and executive coach and interim leader, she has held senior roles in Talent Management & Development, People & Culture and Org Dev and Design. She is drawn to OD for its holistic, interconnected approach and is particularly interested in the relationship between purpose, strategy, culture, leadership and people's behaviours at work and in life.

Odile Chefdor | LinkedIn

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi https://ko-fi.com/wtalpod Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

Measuring learning impact is one of the oldest conversations in L&D and still one of the least resolved. This episode gets into what useful evaluation actually looks like, why so much measurement stops at the wrong point, and what it takes to tell a credible story about what learning achieves.

Full episode resources at https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests:

Emma Klosson has spent 25 years in learning and development, working both in-house and for learning providers to create solutions for some of the world’s leading brands. Throughout her career she has been focused on proving the impact of learning, and that focus on evaluation is at the heart of her work today. Emma is the founder of Rooftop Recognition, a boutique consultancy helping L&D, HR and edtech teams win industry awards by telling compelling, evidence-backed stories of their success. As a judge for major industry programmes including the Learning Technologies Awards, she knows what makes an entry stand out. https://rooftoprecognition.com https://linkedin.com/in/emmaklosson

Heidi Kirby is an L&D strategist, consultant and founder of Useful Stuff. With a PhD in instructional design and technology and a career spanning college English classrooms, NASA and corporate L&D leadership, she specialises in helping organisations design learning that changes people rather than just checks a box. She is the creator of FUSE, a Framework for Useful Learning Evaluation, which integrates evaluation into the design process from the start and includes measures that leaders actually care about. https://getusefulstuff.com https://linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby

Thank you for listening.

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi https://ko-fi.com/wtalpod Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

This Episode: Work throws curveballs. This conversation looks at how women navigate unexpected change, whether that is organisational, professional or personal, and what it takes to adapt without losing yourself in the process.

Full episode resources at https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests:

Janet O'Hehir is a HR and OD consultant and social scientist who works with organisations managing complex workforce and cultural change programmes, ensuring people are placed at the centre of organisational transformation. She has worked across emergency services, magic circle law firms, and public, private and not-for-profit organisations in both the UK and Australia. As a social researcher, her work has spanned age-friendly cities, education programmes for teenage mums, and resilience and wellbeing interventions in workplaces and community settings. https://linkedin.com/in/janetohehir

Sophie Malik is a people and culture leader with more than fifteen years running HR functions across the UK, US and EU. She has twice led People functions at Limejump and EnergyHub, and scaled global People operations through an IPO at Nerdy. She now runs an independent practice coaching senior leaders and advising founder-led teams, and designs career programming at the New York Public Library. She holds an MSc in Organisational Psychology from Birkbeck, University of London. https://sophiemalik.com https://tiffinhr.com https://linkedin.com/in/hrsophie

Sarit Gafan is the founder of Highest Good Wellbeing, a mental wellbeing company. Through twenty years working in education and a continuous journey into self-awareness, she has become a practitioner of holistic, student-centred and nature-based education. Her book Gratitude Goldmine describes her journey out of a fifteen-year depression and into greater wellbeing through theory and tools that have transformed her life. https://highestgoodwellbeing.com

Elycia French is Head of Membership at the LPI (Learning and Performance Institute), the global professional body for workplace learning and performance. Her career spans learning, organisational and talent development, leadership, performance enablement and capability across commercial, public sector, NHS and not-for-profit environments. Earlier experience across sales, sales operations and membership has shaped her commercial instinct and her understanding of what it takes to keep L&D close to the business. https://thelpi.org https://linkedin.com/in/elyciafrench

Thank you for listening.

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi https://ko-fi.com/wtalpod Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

This Episode: AI is reshaping work fast, but the conversation about who benefits, who gets left behind, and what it means for women specifically is still catching up. This episode brings together three perspectives on AI, equity, skills and what a genuinely human-centred approach to technology adoption actually looks like.

Full episode resources at https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests:

Jenny Garrett OBE is the founder and CEO of Jenny Garrett Global, a leadership development consultancy she has run for twenty years, specialising in inclusive, entrepreneurial and AI-ready leadership. She was awarded an OBE in 2021 for services to entrepreneurship and women in business, and is a graduate of MIT's AI Strategy and Leadership Programme. Her third book, AI for Equity: Creating a More Equitable Society for All, co-written with her daughter Leah-Sunshine Garrett, is published by Emerald on 27 October 2026. She also founded the UK's Diverse Executive Coach Directory and co-hosts the AI for Equity podcast.

Erica Farmer is one of the UK's leading voices on AI, future skills and human potential. With more than 25 years of experience across learning, development and apprenticeships, she has helped some of the country's most recognisable organisations prepare their people for the future of work. A TEDx speaker, LinkedIn Learning instructor and AI strategist, her TEDx talk Reforming Education Through a Digital-First Mindset was selected for http://TED.com. In 2026 she was recognised as an HR Top Mind by HR World and shortlisted in HR Magazine's Most Influential list. She hosts the AI for the Average Joe podcast and has recently published her first book, AI for HR Professionals.

Christine Chiang is Chief Operating Officer and VP of Customer Success at Gutenberg Technology, where she has led operations and customer delivery since 2018. She brings more than two decades of experience building and scaling enterprise content and learning platforms, working closely with publishers and training organisations on digital transformation and the shift from print-first workflows to structured, multi-channel content production. She holds an MBA from Babson College and is based in Boston.

Thank you for listening.

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi https://ko-fi.com/wtalpod Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

This Episode: Apprenticeships are back in conversation, but the reality is more complicated than the headlines suggest. This episode looks at what apprenticeships actually deliver, who they work for, and what still needs to change, from policy to practice and the classroom to the workplace.

Full episode resources at https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests:

Tilly Martin is Global Director of Technical Support in MarTech, known for her lifelong commitment to learning and a passion for developing others. Having recently completed a Level 7 Senior Leadership apprenticeship and currently pursuing her MBA, she brings firsthand insight into blending on-the-job training with academic study. Her background spans operations and people development, with a focus on leading change, driving transformation and promoting personal growth. https://linkedin.com/in/tilly-martin-4a2bba51

Candice Gardner is an award-winning skincare expert with over 30 years in skincare and education. She sits on the Beauty and Aesthetics Expert Working Group for HABIA, shaping National Occupational Standards, and on the apprenticeship employer steering group for Skills England. A long-standing member of the City & Guilds Industry Advisory Board, she was co-opted to the City & Guilds Institute Council and Industry Skills Board and is a BABTAC Collective Expert on skin. With 25 years at Dermalogica, she co-authored Leading from the Heart and Shine. https://linkedin.com/in/candice-c-gardner https://instagram.com/candicecgardner https://substack.com/@candicecgardner https://amazon.com/author/candicecgardner

Fran Pyatt is a People and Performance Development Consultant at Samaritans with over 20 years of experience in the charity sector across operational, people and governance roles. Two years ago she established an upskilling apprenticeship scheme that has enabled 12% of the Samaritans staff team to participate. Fran believes charities can only achieve lasting impact when they have the right people, skills and leadership in place. https://linkedin.com/in/fran-pyatt-19966838

Thank you for listening.

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi. Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

This Episode: Culture shapes everything at work: how people behave, how decisions get made, what gets said and what doesn't. This conversation explores organisational and cross-cultural dynamics, what leaders often miss, and why understanding culture is one of the most practical things an L&D professional can do.

Full episode resources at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests:

Kelly Pinar Goodwin is the founder and lead intercultural trainer at Culture Savvy, where she helps leaders and teams work effectively across cultures. Drawing on over a decade of direct experience with clients spanning more than 40 countries across a wide range of industries, Kelly brings a research-backed approach to cross-cultural collaboration and communication. Her work delivers measurable impact: from improved multicultural team dynamics and increased customer satisfaction to resolving workplace conflicts and supporting entry into new international markets.

linkedin.com/in/kelly-pinar-goodwin

http://culturesavvy.co

medium.com/@kpgoodwin

Tamsin Sainsbury-Hyde is a people and culture leader with a passion for leadership, learning and organisational development. Having worked across both consultancy and in-house roles, she is fascinated by what drives organisational behaviour and performance. Tamsin helps leaders and organisations make sense of complex challenges, uncover what sits beneath the surface, and focus on what matters most.

linkedin.com/in/tamsinsainsburyhyde

Rebecca Edwards is a learning and talent development professional passionate about helping organisations create cultures where people can learn, grow and thrive. Currently working in talent and organisational development, she partners with organisations to strengthen leadership capability, develop talent and create environments where people and businesses can succeed together. She has a particular interest in organisational culture and high-performing teams and how the employee experience is shaped by leadership, learning and purpose.

linkedin.com/in/rebecca-edwards-learning

Thank you for listening.

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi. Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

Most of what people learn at work happens outside a classroom and outside a course. This conversation explores informal learning: what it is, how it works, and why organisations that ignore it are missing most of the picture.

Full episode resources at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Jane Bozarth has worked in the L&D industry for decades, most of it in USA state government, where she worked as classroom trainer, eLearning designer and training programme manager. She developed expertise in inexpensive solutions to workplace performance problems, particularly those with social and self-directed components, followed by a stint as the Learning Guild's Director of Research. She is the author of several books, most recently Show Your Work: The Payoffs and How-Tos of Working Out Loud. Jane continues to write and speak, and can often be found at international speaking events and across online media. linkedin.com/in/janebozarth

http://bozarthzone.blogspot.com

Nahdia Khan is a leadership and organisational development specialist with more than 20 years of experience across government, business and the voluntary sector. She has designed and led executive and high-potential leadership programmes, managed learning across five Whitehall departments, and supported organisations through growth, restructuring and cultural change. Her work is grounded in extensive research into workplace learning, behaviour change and management effectiveness, including studies involving more than 6,000 L&D leaders across 55 countries. Nahdia is also an executive coach, former Chief Impact Officer at Mind Tools, and Chair of the Digital and Technology Advisory Group at Central London Careers Hub. linkedin.com/in/nahdia-khan

Thank you for listening.

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi. Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

This Episode: Connection at work is easy to talk about and harder to build. This conversation explores what connection looks like, why it matters, and what gets in the way.

Full episode resources at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests:

Anat Shabi is a leadership trainer and coach supporting managers and teams across healthcare. With a background in hospital pharmacy and corporate management, she is known for designing and facilitating memorable learning journeys that use creative, hands-on tools to spark insight, connection and action. Having moved countries at a young age and experienced the challenge of finding connection, Anat is driven by helping people reconnect with themselves and others, building confidence, stronger relationships and more effective collaboration.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anat-shabi/

http://anatshabi.com

Brigid McCormack helps organisations transform how their people learn. Originally from the Chicago area, she moved to the UK in 2022 to complete a Master's at the University of Edinburgh's Futures Institute, exploring how modern technology and AI reshape the stories we tell. As Customer Success Manager at Assemble You, Brigid partners with clients from onboarding through to long-term growth, building relationships that create real, lasting impact with audio-first learning. She also co-hosts The Assembly, a podcast bringing together voices from across L&D who are reshaping how we think about learning at work.

linkedin.com/in/brigidmccormack

Celia Orsini is an archaeologist who works with modern teams through Archaeology for Wellbeing. She helps research and knowledge-driven organisations rebuild trust, communication and a sense of belonging, especially when teams feel isolated or stuck in silos. With a PhD in archaeology and over ten years studying how past communities supported each other under pressure, Celia designs practical, grounded workshops that help teams connect more clearly and work together with less stress.

http://archaeology-for-wellbeing.com

instagram.com/arch_for_wellbeing

linkedin.com/in/dr-celia-orsini-archaeology-for-wellbeing

youtube.com/@ArchaeologyforWellbeing

Rachel Andrew is originally from Yorkshire and now calls the Midlands home. Most of her career has been in the charity and public sector, most recently leading organisational development in an NHS Trust. She is currently on sabbatical, coaching and figuring out what comes next. Bringing people together runs through everything Rachel does, and she hosts a network for OD, learning and people professionals across the NHS and public sector. linkedin.com/in/rachelandrewcoach

Thank you for listening.

ou can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi.

Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

Full episode resources at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests:

Henriette Kloots is an organisational psychologist and senior L&D consultant. After years working for both learning solution providers and on the corporate side of L&D, she founded her first company in 2015. Henriette brings a combination of tight project management, strategic and analytical thinking, and a service-oriented approach. Through Interlocked, she continues to pursue impactful learning. She is known for her energy and passion for the industry and, as she says herself: "I am here to challenge."

http://interlocked.nl

linkedin.com/in/henriette-kloots

linkedin.com/company/interlocked-b-v

Mary Rapaport spends her days helping leaders and learning teams think a little bigger, ask better questions, and avoid solving the wrong problem. As the founder of The Strategic Playground, she is on a mission to make strategic thinking less intimidating and a lot more useful. Mary helps L&D professionals turn good ideas into meaningful business impact. linkedin.com/in/maryrapaport

http://strategicplayground.com

Anne-Marie Burbidge is the founder of The Spark L&D Consultancy and a fractional Head of L&D, bringing over 20 years of experience across sectors. She helps growing organisations scale what works, fix the friction, and build the leadership, capability and people performance systems needed for sustainable growth. Anne-Marie believes L&D should be one of the most commercially impactful functions in any organisation: not a training provider, but a driver of performance.

http://thesparkconsultancy.uk

linkedin.com/in/anne-marieburbidge

Thank you for listening.

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi.

Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

Full episode resources at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests:

Laura Paget is the founder of Novature Solutions, a people strategy consultancy for scaling businesses. She works with founders who are spending too much time solving people problems that should never reach their desk, building the structure and systems that free them to focus on growth. With a career spanning Aldi, Evri and Just Eat http://Takeaway.com, she has spent over a decade building people systems that allow businesses to scale without falling apart. A trained CQ practitioner, Laura helps businesses build onboarding, development and retention strategies that are both people and profit focused. linktr.ee/novaturesolutions linkedin.com/in/laura-macfarlane-novature-solutions

Hannah Frame is a creative and tech-savvy L&D professional who enjoys making learning inclusive, collaborative and impactful. From launching innovative bespoke learning apps to designing award-winning VR training experiences, Hannah is passionate about using cutting-edge tools and technology to enable collaborative, peer-to-peer learning. She has her own podcast, Every Day's a School Day, and has led projects that have earned multiple awards and a spot on 2024 Learning Technologies' Thirty Under 30. With over 7 years of experience in L&D and a distinction in her CIPD L&D Consultant Business Partner qualification, Hannah combines experience, creativity and strategy to drive real change. linkedin.com/in/framehannah

Leah-Sunshine Garrett is the co-host of AI for Equity, an intergenerational podcast she runs with her mum exploring how AI can make workplaces and communities fairer. She is also the founder of Dawn Intelligence, a safety-tech startup using real-time data and AI to help prevent gender-based violence. A survivor herself, Leah brings honesty, humour and a human lens to every discussion from ethics to equity to everyday life. She started coding at 11, DJs for fun, and believes the best ideas often start as chaotic voice notes. linkedin.com/in/leah-sunshine-g-91b643134 http://dawnintelligence.co.uk open.spotify.com/show/6ZSdDh62GB1BRe5H2uIbL6 open.spotify.com/show/5wYOGyXGVklrxmIl5jaRtC

Thank you for listening.

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi. Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

The workplace keeps shifting, and the pressure to keep up is real. This conversation explores what it actually means to learn, adapt and stay useful in a world that won't slow down.

Full episode resources at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests:

Christine Janssen is an immersive learning expert and AI learning strategist. She is the founder and CEO of Edstutia, an immersive learning platform and consultancy, as well as a former business school professor in New York City. Her recently published book There Is No Box: Rewiring Your Mindset About Learning was written for learner leaders to understand why they need to adopt and adapt, and how to start reshaping their perspectives and actions as educators.

linkedin.com/in/christine-janssen-phd-1641b45 http://thereisnoboxbook.com http://edstutia.com

Sarah Campbell is a marketing strategist and founder of Studio3 Creative, a Western Canada-based consultancy with 13 years of experience guiding small, women-led businesses toward scalable progress. After years of manually aligning brand, audience and voice for clients, Sarah recognised a market gap and developed a proprietary AI Content System built to think like a strategist, respect the brief and preserve brand integrity at scale.

linkedin.com/in/sarahjfcampbell

linkedin.com/company/studio3creative

http://studio3creative.ca

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi. Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

Full episode resources at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

This episode's guests:

Lorraine Taylor has over 25 years' experience in L&D. She runs her own business advising organisations and individuals on how to align people capabilities with business goals so teams quickly adapt, lead effectively and deliver results. Alongside creating learning experiences that resonate and deliver ROI, she has spent much of her career coaching and mentoring others. She attributes her career success in part to the advice others have given her along the way. Paying it forward is a key part of her business ethos including volunteering to help young adults from a low socioeconomic background find the career of their dreams. http://lt-learning.com linkedin.com/in/lorrainetaylor1

Georgie Smith is a midlife and menopause coach who helps women who feel like they've lost themselves after years of looking after everyone else. Supporting women through identity shifts, confidence dips and life transitions, Georgie focuses on helping them reconnect with who they are now. Her work is rooted in self-trust, emotional awareness, and creating a life that feels calm, clear and genuinely fulfilling. linkedin.com/in/georgie-smith-36438693 instagram.com/i_am_georgie_smith substack.com/@iamgeorgiesmith

Katie O'Malley is an executive coach and leadership educator with twenty years of professional experience serving the nonprofit, education and corporate sectors and a Master's Degree in Counselling and Board Certification in Coaching. Since 2018, Katie has worked alongside hundreds of individual, team and organisational clients as founder and principal coach of (en)Courage Coaching. Established with the mission of providing exceptional, financially accessible coaching services to Chicago area professionals, (en)Courage Coaching has grown to support individuals and businesses from around the world. Katie is currently a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and in June 2025 took the TEDx Stage in Boston to talk about The Attention We Give: Lessons from Listening for a Living. linkedin.com/in/kateomalley

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website, http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi. Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

Natalie Ainsworth has more than a decade of global L&D experience across sectors including FTSE 100 and Fortune 100 organisations, spanning early career to leadership development. She holds an MSc in Sustainable Development and works at the intersection of L&D and sustainability, translating sustainability into a core People agenda and connecting individual motivation with organisational action.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieainsworth/ https://virescentlearning.com/

Sara Hill is the founder of The Learning Green and a Sustainability Learning Strategist. She has a background in landscape architecture and L&D, is certified Carbon Literate, and is a Cornell Climate Steward. Her work supports professionals and organisations across sectors to develop sustainability literacy and take action on climate.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahill/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-learning-green https://thelearninggreen.com/ @http://thelearninggreen.bsky.social

Dr. Asegul Hulus is an Assistant Professor in Computing researching across interdisciplinary areas of Computer Science. She is the founder of MetaTech Feminism, a framework that unifies feminist approaches to technology, advancing inclusivity, ethical responsibility, and sustainability in digital systems.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/asegulhulus/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266618882500735X

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website, http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi. Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

Ilaria Boncori is a Professor in Organisation Studies and Human Resources Management and an Academic Fellow of CIPD. Her research focuses on inequalities in the workplace, particularly around gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and foreignness. Her most recent work explores pregnancy and pregnancy endings at work.

https://www.essex.ac.uk/research-projects/supporting-early-pregnancy-endings-in-the-workplace https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilaria-boncori-phd-pfhea-fcipd-518537/

Anna Ogilby is a People Development Lead at the UK Health Security Agency and a lone parent to four daughters. She is passionate about supporting women's personal and professional development, social mobility, and equitable learning pathways. https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-ogilby-9aab45136/

Glynis Skitt is a leadership and development facilitator with over 15 years of experience helping people reflect on who they are, beyond what they know or are known for. She works with individuals and teams who want to share their expertise to make more of an impact. https://www.linkedin.com/in/glyniskitt/

Hannah Clark is the founder of Talia Marketing, where she helps L&D organisations grow through clearer, more effective communication. With over ten years in the L&D industry, she brings commercial insight and a no-fuss approach to marketing that connects and delivers results. https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanclark/

Simrat Pahwa is an L&D leader with over 14 years of experience designing and scaling learning strategies across healthcare, retail, finance, IT, and education. She focuses on human-centred learning and the role of storytelling in building connection and meaningful behaviour change. Outside her professional work, she supports women through pregnancy and postpartum, helping to dispel myths and offering practical guidance through a significant and often underserved life transition. https://www.linkedin.com/in/simratpahwa/

Allyship gets talked about a lot. This episode asks whether it actually changes anything.

Chloe Duncan, Fran Harrison, and Nzinga Orgill bring three distinct perspectives to a conversation about what allyship looks like in practice, where it falls short, and what organisations and individuals need to do differently.

Full episode resources are listed on our website at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests

Chloe Duncan is an in-house DEI strategist specialising in inclusion-led culture transformation, aligning people strategy with organisational performance and regulatory obligations. She has designed and delivered inclusion initiatives across charity, emergency services and regulatory sectors. Chloe also volunteers as Head of Communications and Engagement at the Optimise Foundation. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-duncan-b1926515a/

Fran Harrison has more than 30 years in learning delivery, design and technologies. She has recently embarked on serious learning of her own, in transformative coaching and applied positive psychology, shifting towards a more developmental and transformational focus in her practice. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-harrison-uk/

Nzinga Orgill is Founder and CEO of Avi2i, a consultancy transforming how organisations communicate, include, and serve diverse audiences across events, tourism, aviation, and customer experience. With nearly two decades of expertise in project delivery, cultural competence, and psychological safety, she helps teams move beyond performative gestures and redesign systems so every colleague and customer feels safe, seen, and satisfied. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nzinga-orgill/

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi. Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi.

Or you can email us via hello@llarn.com

This Episode: Grief is an inevitable part of life, yet it remains one of the most challenging topics to discuss, especially in the workplace. This episode considers many different forms of grief—just a heads-up, this is not a usual type of episode and is, you'll notice, a bit longer than the norm.

Full episode resources at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Kavita Brown is owner and learning director for LDG Training. She's a highly experienced independent trainer, facilitator and L&D consultant, having worked across various sectors. Kavita has significant experience in people roles across learning and development, HR, recruitment and organisational design. She's passionate about empowering change, transformation and growth in a fun, creative and inspiring way. http://linkedin.com/in/kavita-brown-9943a332

Anita Guru is founder of The Mind Coach. She's an experienced mindset coach, psychotherapeutic counsellor and motivational speaker with a background in occupational psychology. She has nearly two decades of learning, leadership and organisational development experience at organisations such as Deloitte, Centrica and Coca-Cola. Anita supports organisations to raise awareness and support employees navigating grief. Committed to shattering stigma due to personal experiences, she actively raises awareness on issues linked to mental health and women's health. She has featured in Vogue, The Mail on Sunday, The Telegraph, The Times and on BBC Radio London. http://linkedin.com/feed http://anitagurumindcoach.com

Lisa Sharp is a senior learning consultant who designs practical, human-centred solutions that help organisations turn strategy into meaningful behavioural change. With more than 15 years of experience across industries, she has led onboarding, leadership development and change initiatives within complex, regulated environments. http://linkedin.com/in/lisa-sharp-a2088583 http://solvdtogether.com

Sarah-Jane Bellion is the leadership capability manager at Center Parcs UK & Ireland. Previously she spent over 12 years at Marks & Spencer, most recently partnering with their retail operations team. She designs learning experiences that spark curiosity, build confidence and make a lasting impact, helping people to see themselves and their world a little differently. Sarah-Jane's work sits at the intersection of people development, performance and creativity. Her own experience of grief has deepened her understanding of resilience and what it truly means to grow. She believes impactful learning happens through honest conversation, vulnerability and connection. http://linkedin.com/in/sarah-jane-bellion http://instagram.com/sjbellion

Contact & Support: Women Talking About Learning: http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com Podcast Learning Festival: http://www.podcastlearningfest.live Support us: Ko-Fi Email: hello@llarn.com

This Episode: Returning to work is rarely just a logistics problem. It's a confidence problem, an identity problem, and for many women, a systemic problem that organisations still haven't taken seriously enough.

Clair Madeley and Jo Edgar speak from experience: as practitioners and as women who've navigated the return themselves. This is a conversation about what actually makes coming back harder than it needs to be and what genuine support looks like.

Full episode resources at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests: Clair Madeley is a Technology Trainer and Learning Specialist who has navigated her own career transitions. She knows firsthand what it's like to manage confidence dips, identity shifts, and the practical realities of stepping back into work. http://linkedin.com/in/clair-madeley-175b8522

Jo Edgar is a Freelance Executive Coach and Leadership Trainer with over 20 years in learning and development. She specialises in coaching women returning to work after career breaks — whether through maternity leave, caring responsibilities, redundancy, or life taking a different turn. jo@joedgarcoachinganddevelopment.com | http://linkedin.com/in/jo-edgar-15b692151

Resources: How to cope with mum guilt | Emma's Diary Back to the office: not what women need | NOON Caregiver Leave in the UK | Contend Legal Flexible Work Arrangements | Benepass Flexible Work Arrangements | Women in Research 10 ways flexible working attracts senior women | Timewise Investing in Women Return Ready Week Survey Results Challenges facing women in post-study jobs post-pandemic | HEPI Employers' return to office plans 2025 | CIPD Getting Back to Work | IES Office Return Varies Across Sectors | British Chambers of Commerce Gender Differences in Loneliness Returning to work after a break | South London Partnership Returner toolkit | http://GOV.UK Women, work and caring | IES Women in AI (#WAI) Women Are Avoiding AI. Will Their Careers Suffer? | HBS Working Knowledge WISE Campaign Top 3 barriers women face returning to work | IEP Social Innovation Analysis on Women Back to Work Women's health: a quarter shamed into returning early | FemTech World Half of mothers have negative experiences returning after maternity leave. AI and gender equality | UN Women

Thank you for listening.

Contact & Support: Women Talking About Learning: http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com Podcast Learning Festival: http://www.podcastlearningfest.live Support us: Ko-Fi Email: hello@llarn.com

This Episode: Identity is not fixed. It shifts with experience, loss, diagnosis, place, and time. Susan Fitzell, Meghan Waldron, Niki Hobson, and Aiko Sato reflect on what it means to understand that fluidity — and what becomes possible when we stop trying to hold a self that no longer fits.

This is a conversation about who we are, who we've been, and who we're still becoming.

Full episode resources at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests: Susan Fitzell is a speaker and educator whose work centres on learning and human potential. Diagnosed with neurodivergence alongside her child, her lived experience shapes her practice across dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and auditory processing. http://susanfitzell.com | http://linkedin.com/in/susanfitzell

Meghan Waldron spent nearly two decades in K-12 education before moving into university advising. She works with women leaders through Women in Change USA, using writing and reflection to help people find and trust their own voice. http://linkedin.com/in/meghan-waldron-ed-d-11b213255 | http://facebook.com/rvawrites | http://smartsolutionsva.com | http://womeninchange.co.uk/wic-usa

Niki Hobson is a Learning Specialist at the BBC with experience across private, public, and voluntary sectors. She also trains practitioners in smartphone videography — helping people tell their own stories, in their own way. http://linkedin.com/in/nikihobson | http://focusndevelop.com

Aiko Sato works with people and organisations on how learning, culture, and behaviour evolve together. Her work sits in the space between insight and practice — interested in how meaning is made, shared, and carried into everyday action. http://linkedin.com/in/aiko-sato-717441156 | http://substack.com/@aikocecile

Contact & Support: Women Talking About Learning: http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com Podcast Learning Festival: http://www.podcastlearningfest.live Support us: Ko-Fi Email: hello@llarn.com

This Episode: Why does being on camera feel so uncomfortable, and what actually helps? Liù Batchelor and Sarah Pocklington share practical approaches to video presence, drawing on decades of experience as coaches, facilitators and performers. The conversation covers self-view fatigue, the gendered dynamics of video calls, lighting, and how to move past the cringe. This is about showing up on screen without the overthinking or the "I hate how I look" narrative.

Full episode resources at http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests:

Liù Batchelor is a video and presenter coach, former TV presenter, videographer and TEDx producer. Her approach is "video without the cringe", helping service professionals get started with video and be themselves on camera. http://linkedin.com/in/liubatchelor http://youtube.com/@LiuBatchelor http://instagram.com/liu_batchelor http://facebook.com/LiuBatchelorTV

Sarah Pocklington is on a mission to help everyone, especially women, show up on camera without the cringe, overthinking or the "I hate how I look" narrative. A speaker, facilitator and coach with 30 years' experience in learning and development, she blends confidence and clarity with a no-nonsense approach to help business owners and teams build connection and real presence on camera. http://linkedin.com/in/sarah-pocklington-coachonaboat http://www.coachonaboat.co.uk

Thank you for listening.

Contact Women Talking About Learning Website: https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com Email: hello@llarn.com Support us: https://ko-fi.com/womentalkingaboutlearning Twitter/X: @WTAL_Podcast Podcast Learning Festival: https://www.podcastlearningfest.live (London, 26th February 2026)

This episode explores hybrid working and its impact on learning, collaboration and organizational culture. How do we manage change when teams are distributed? What happens to relationships when work becomes flexible? How can we be intentional about connection in hybrid environments? You will hear from three women researching, designing and implementing approaches to make hybrid work actually work.

Full episode resources All the articles, research and organizational guidance mentioned in this episode are listed on our website. 👉https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com

Guests

Sara Estevez Cores Researcher in the Strategy & Entrepreneurship group at UCL School of Management, focusing on the future of work, particularly the impact of flexible work arrangements on collaboration practices and the influence of workspace design and social norms on organizational behavior. LaCaixa Scholarship recipient (2019). Previously worked as external and in-house leadership consultant in the US and UK.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saracores/

Valerie Merrill Training consultant with 30+ years' experience designing, delivering and managing learning programs for public and private sector clients. Built her reputation through referral and recommendation, dedicated to customized, impactful training solutions.

• Website: https://www.merrillconsultants.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merrillvalerie/
• Podcast: https://thesecretsoflearninganddevelopment.buzzsprout.com/

Irma Aleshe With 25+ years expertise across HR management, healthcare and business leadership, Irma delivers transformational coaching empowering professionals and executives to unlock potential in career and wellbeing. Founder of AIINIIA | Nurture Culture, delivering programs focused on enhancing workspace performance and productivity based on effective relational connectivity as the transaction edge in all interaction.

• Website: http://www.aiiniia.co.uk
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/irma-i-aleshe-71b568214

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